Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-09

I lac fashion Of Gray Locks, and How
They Are Supplied.

The Fashion Of Gray Locks, and How
They Are Supplied.
THE POWER OF THE ACTRESS IN SETTING STYLES
SINCE THE FALL OF THE EMPRESS EuaENIE-sLov.
RsLY METHODS OF tbs PRESENT DAY.
From the New York Sun.
since 1t became fashionable to be gray the price
OF real gray hair has risen to enormous figures A
hair-dresser In 9th Avenue recently nlled an or
der for one OF his customers for ounces OF gray
hair % inches long, and the price was s1o0 an
ounce, or 500 for the order. The same amount
and quality OF light brown hair would have cost
about $50. The high price Is caused not only by
the great demand that has sprung up for gray
hair. but because good live gray hair is scarce. 1t
is comparatively easy to secure scant, short gray
locks but few heads yield the beautiful pearl gray
that is so fashionable when their owners grow
old. The hair falls out, leaving what remains thin
and OF poor quality, or II It remains On the head
the ends turn yellow and fray.
The ordinary lengths OF hair supplied to order
are from 20 TO % inches Gray hair is not OFTEN
found so long, and, when It does grow that length
the owner is usually found In that class OF society
that takes too much pride I'm It's hair to sell IT. 1t
takes ten times as long to fill an order for gray
hair for the usual shades or brown. The head
OF the largest hair house In this city said that he
would not undertake to fill a gray hair order to
a certainty within six months, as he would have
TO send to his European correspondents to get the
goods. Almost all the live white hair comes from
Europe, the Swiss and Italians furnishing good
share OF IL. They are accustomed to CHASING hair
with their other crops and 10 tending 1t with care,
with the final sale OF 1t In view.
Dealers draw great distinction between live
gray hair and dead gray hair. Live gray hair is
taken from the heads OF live persons, and does
have to be put through any coloring or bleaching
process before being offered for sale. Dead gray
hay IS either cut from The head OIL dead person,
or more commonly IL Is hair that has been put
through processes to make it gray that has de-
stroyed its vitality and altered its structure. Dead
gray hair is not worth much more than dead hair
OF any other Kind. II is manufactured from mon
grel shades OF browns and hair that can be used
for nothing else. IL can be bought for from s. to
$40 an ounce, according to length, quality, and
shade
The processes by which hair is made the fashion,
able shade OF gray differ among the few hair
dreSSerS who know how TO do 1t, and each has his
own secret method. The base Is peroxide of
hydrogen, that takes out the color and leaves the
hair ready 10 receive the gray shade. 1t is danger
Gus to color the hair OF the head gray, and the
hair cannot well be subjected To the process of
cOioring without danger TO the scalp and brain.
Still there are women who are willing TO run the
risk that they may have few silver threads
among the gold or brown Or black, Or whatever
the color may be. The operation OF bleaching
separate strands is risky and tiresome. A hair
running the whole head OF hair. IL Is
not 50 much the bleaching operation that is
to tie hair. Even then IL will not stay gray long,
and the operation will have to be repeated as the
hair grows, ending IN the destruction OF the hairs
operated On by the chemicals employed in tine
operation.
The fashion Of gray hair is the most recent of all
fashions, and Is vriously attributed TO actresses
and Queen Victoria. The chances are that the
actresses had more 10 do in bringing IL about than
the queen had. Their gray hairs were caused by
the judic!oGs use OF powder and coloring matter
that wouldn't bear scrutiny or the stage. 4
demand grew up for permanent gray hair that
hlIrciressers have been trying to meet.
Peroxide OF hydrogen that Is uao,l IN the primary
process with gray hair Is the same that some
women Use In bleaching their hair. 1t was In
vented in 1918 by q Frenchman named Thenard,
andf " jcha doom in nrc
scriptions as gargle for the throat. It's use as a
hair bleacher Is much more recent IL is hard,
though, TO turn hair gray that has once been
bieached Hair that has been thoroughly beached
and the bleaching must be repeated several
times before the color is fXed-SeenS to lose its
vitality and TO die. IL cannot be put through
other processes ait3r it has died. the cellular
structure has changed and the hair has become
spOngy ibre. Tise women who bleached their hair
and liked It's IcOSs at first VIII have TO continue
bleaching it ever InOnLn 1t grows out. The
old hair Is bicached as we'll as the new, and af-
ter few years bleaching IL breaks and drops of
for any cause. The only way TO get rid OF bleached
hair Is to cut it OF. Its color cannot be restored
IL is hard TO bleach black hair properly. After
soaking in the peroxide OF hydrogen which is the
color or water, the cOlOrtng matter % the hair
comes out and tinges the water. The operation
may De repeated until tse hair IS very light but
the chances are against It's ever becoming the
baby blonde shade that Is 80 sought alter. Light
brown hair bleaches best. The expert Oh hair that
gave this Information neglected To say anything
about re hair but among his samples or nair fur
niShed TO order there was lot one red. lie could
run Dis place TOT q year WITHOUT needing the pres
ence OF q white horse.
Monsieur l.. Rauchfuss. the learned man who fur
niShed most oi the above knowledge c,c3.,i TT
tie Srerech on the hair with Rnieut AID !, p.opha-
Cy. "So;ren 90 n0t dress their hair any mere.
They curl IL up on top Of Their heads an pi1 Zig
hat OVERT. wii.ie all they cotle 10 = hstrre iOr
IS TO have the 'front.' OF their hair the way
some actress cuts neigi TIE retirement III Eth
press Eugene was sli thing for the hairdres5srs
procession. II gave the making OF fashions 10
actresses. When Lanstry came over all the
women had their hair cut Ike hers. When Ellen
Terry came there was Shcyt hair a II Terry. Now
there Will OS some new actress ana tie STYLES
will change again. But TITS Is hot arJ. The Clip
ping or cHfing friZZing OF tie bang in this way
or that Way is not hair dressing. The front hair is
not all 1t is only part, and no attention Is
given 10 the rest.
81 prophesJ there will be change in this
Women Will tire OF following actresses and they
Will return TO the old times. They will regard
their hair not their hats, the chief adornTnent
OF their heads. There Is more reason why men
should wear their hats in the theater than women.
Instead Of tuck1ng their hair up in hat women
Will have it dressed and the profession OF hair
dressing Will revlve''